Why it's a Best Place to Work: The software giant pays 100% of all medical costs for employees and their families and last year added a stipend of up to $800 per employee for any fitness-related expense.

Why it's a Best Place to Work: In an industry that forces many to spend their days alone at their desks, knee-deep in data, True Partners believes it's essential to create opportunities for staffers to interact.

Why it's a Best Place to Work: Associates at Resources Global say they enjoy their jobs because the company offers them the chance to do challenging work in the fields they love — without the office politics.

Why it's a Best Place to Work: Fully funded health care, a free company trip each January to someplace warm — this year it was the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas — and a liberal leave policy are probably enough reasons Clune Construction made the...

Why it's a Best Place to Work: There's more breathing room in Upshot's new space in the Chicago Apparel Center, including a large central area that's part lunchroom, part meeting space and part happy-hour headquarters — it includes a 52-inch plasma...

Why it's a Best Place to Work: The office is fairly Spartan, with not a pool table to be found. The most recent holiday party was held in the break room. Yet the same management team has been in place for nearly 25 years.

Why it's a Best Place to Work: Many companies aspire to a team vibe, but too often the result is just groan-inducing "rah-rah" rhetoric. That doesn't seem to be the case at Bryan Cave. "Teamwork" and "support" are common refrains from employees.

Why it's a Best Place to Work: Like most hotels, the James has the unenviable task of creating a workplace that appeals to everyone from building engineers to accountants to vegetable peelers to marketing executives who work in shifts 24 hours a day.

Why it's a Best Place to Work: Since last year's survey, Avanade has seen a 40% increase in human resources-related programs after a new CEO, new vice-president of human resources and new three-year business plan were put in place.

Why it's a Best Place to Work: Known for emphasizing a collegial environment through its hiring practices (jerks need not apply) and "happiness committees" that surprise colleagues with munchies, the law firm began holding periodic in-house events,...